Lobster trap



Patented May 15, 1923.

.ANlI-IOIQ'I7 A. AXIOTES, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.-

LOBSTER TRAP.

Application sied December 22, 1922. serial No. 608,438.

y To all whom t may concern.'

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in thecounty of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lobster Traps, of which the following'is a specification.

My invention relates t0 lobster traps.

The cautious habits of lobsters and their distinctive peculiarities render fish traps useless in the capture of the lobster. For instance a lobsterv will not attempt ingress into a trap at any point where the bait is not visible through the `ingress point.V or this reason approaches constructed ot netting have been employed, but they have become broken or the lobster has become entangled and ultimately escaped. No provision has heretofore been made for admitting lobsters of different sizes; nor has provision been made for enabling the lobster to make a preliminary survey of the bait as he enters.

The essential objects ot this inventionv are to overcome the above enumerated disadvantages, and to attain the desired results in a desirable, inexpensive, and readily eX- changeable structure.

To the above ends primarily my invention consists in such parts and in such combinations of parts as 'fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my novel trap,

Figure 2, a section on line 2--2 of Fig- .ure l,

Figure 3, an enlarged fragmentary section on line ot Figure 1, and

Figure 4, an enlarged perspective view of the entrance member, showing the same in full lines closed, and in broken lines open.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

The body, Yrame or shell of the trap as herein illustrated is rectangular including a slotted bottom or base 6, top 7, sides 8, rear end wall 9, and front end wall 10. The wall or frame 10 is provided on each side of its center with spaced vertical slats or strips 11, and has at its top a horizontal slat 12, and near its bottom, horizontal slats 18. The upper middle portion of the member l() has, therefore, a resultant opening 15 in which is located the entrance device which is preferably Lof thin noncorrosive or galvanized metal, easily cut and shaped from a sheet. y

In detail the device comprises a rectangular relatively stationary transversely arcuate or semicircular lower plate `17, the forward corners of whose upturned ends 18 are bent 90 degrees forming diagonally disposed lateral lugs 1.9. Pivotally mounted on the lower plate above the latter is an arched or transversely arcuate plate v21, substantially vrectangular exceptthat its downturned ends have their forward corners diagonallyv cui.,

away forming resultant inclined lowerl edges 23 adapted to normally rest against the concave position ot the lowerV member 17. kThe pivotal connections of the members 17 and 18 are in this instance Cotter pins 25 passinO loosely through perforations- 26 and 27 in the forward corners of the portions 18 and 22 respectively. The legs 29 ot the-pins are clinched or expanded, and their eyes 30 project laterally from the exterior of the member17. The weight or" the member 21 causes it to normally assume thev closed position shown in the gures, wherein it will be noted that even in closed position the closure is only partial and that there is alwaysv an opening 82 between the rearedges of the members 17 and 21. f

The wall 10 is lined by nails or otherwise to the walls 8. It isrpreferably rearwardly and upwardly inclined with its lower end engaging the forward edge ot' the licor 6.

The i' metallic inducting members may be` slat 13, so that no attaching nails are necessary. It desired, however', nails may be inserted into said slats 11 through the eyes 30 or through perfor-ations, not shown, in the lugs 19.

In operation thek lobster initially clevates his head by placing his feet against one or lIn this case,` as

more of the slats 13 and then rests his claws on the member 17 while he inspects the bait within the trap through the opening 32. He then advances and thus elevates the member 21 to a position such as shown in .broken lines in Figure 4 so as to permit his entire body .to enter thevcasing, after which the member 2l drops to original position and `he is trapped.

Vhile one end Wall only is `shown carrying the induction members 17 andl 2l it will be understood that induction members may Valso be mounted in the rear Wall 9 if so de l vsired in which case itis preferable that the p zo end wall 9 be inclined tol a position corresponding to the position of Wall 10.

' It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown yand described isy and an arched induction plate eccentrically pivot'ed to the first plate and provided with inclined edges adapted to rest upon the vfirst plate. y y n 2. In a lobstertrap, a case provided with an open end, an inclined frame closingthe open end and provided With'an opening, 'an

`induction plate fast in the opening, and a second induction plate in theopening pivotally supported upon the rst plate..

, B. A lobster trap comprising a case having a relatively'xed inclined'end Wall slatted and provided Withan' opening-and an entrance device comprising` opposed plates pivotally united and pivotally mounted on'said Wall about'saidopening.

4. A lobster trap comprising a, Casev hav; y ing a' relatively xedf inclined end Wall' slatted andprovided With an openin0V and an entrance device comprising vopposedy plates pivote-ily united and pivotally mounted on said' Wall about said opening and 'one movable Within the other. y

5. A lobster trap comprising a reticulated case having an end open, a slatted member in said end open and relatively {ix-ed and having an opening, and cooperating" plates v vmounted injsaidv opening, one fixed to said member and the'other pivotally mounted in,

the fixed memberyto gravitate therein to .refr l strict the passage into the case.

ln testimony whereof I have aliixed `mi signature.

ANTHONY A. 'axioms s' 

